CHAPTER 37

— Good evening, Florence speaking; How can I help you?

— Good evening, ma'am. I would like to speak to Judge Bill Avery or Mountie Jack Thorton

— Just a moment and I'll transfer you to Judge Bill Avery's office, as our mountie is on patrol around the city.

— Thank you, ma'am.

Wynn, couldn't help but laugh on the other end of the line, upon listening to our mountie, he realized that this young man was well-regarded in that city, they even knew the time of his rounds.

Bill, I was sorting out all that paperwork, I needed to finish quickly and go home and talk to Charlotte; It was his imagination, or Charlotte thought he had feelings for Abigail. Of course he felt, he made her his younger sister... many years ago, when he arrived in the city, after that frustrating story of trying to date between them, where Nora appeared and everything got in the way, it was when they both noticed that everything was nothing more than loneliness added to a great friendship, which existed between them. Today, Bill knew that Abigail was in love with Frank and he was in love with her and all that was needed was a little push for them to make up. As for him... Bill smiled thinking: "THERE WAS ONLY ONE LOVE IN HIS LIFE, ONLY CHARLOTTE HAD BEEN ABLE TO CONQUER HIM."

That's when the phone rang, Bill only answered after the third ring, he didn't like that gadget. Okay, it was already 1910, but he thought that this modernity could be far from Hope Valle.

—Judge Bill Avery, speaking!

— Good evening, Mr. Judge. This is Wynn Delane, overall commander of the mounties.

Bill, was surprised. He had sent a telegram to Collins, looking for Wynn days ago, even knew he was a mountie, but at no point had his friend Collins told him his rank. He never imagined that he was a general commander.

— Hello... Mr. Judge. You're on the line...

- Yes sir! But call me Bill please.

- OK! Call me Wynn. I think we need to talk about my niece Elizabeth Thatcher, or Thorton, as the telegram said.

Bill sighed and told that man everything, without hiding anything. He also talked about the love of young people and he was now "her adoptive father", he was her guardian. Bill, he could hear Wynn's expressions of anger, he didn't know that man, but he already liked him, and the more he talked about Charles and Willian The angrier the man became Bill noticed that he really cared about Elizabeth, so he decided to tell her about the fear and the looks that Elizabeth noticed from her father towards her.

Wynn was furious and said that it was absurd, how a man could make a daughter be afraid or have that feeling. And finally he said:

— Bill, I want you to keep me a secret. Me, my wife and my son, will be arriving in Hope Valle, tomorrow at lunch time, we took a vacation and decided to pay her a surprise visit, that's when Collins sent me her statement. If you can rent somewhere to stay I would appreciate it as my wife is very tired. We had been on the road for days, when we had a strange feeling and decided to go faster, without many stops. Can you assure me that her husband is a good person?

— I put both my hands in the fire for him.

— Bill, take care of her… at least until I'm there. This girl is like my daughter, I would give my life for her if I had to. Don't let anything happen to her.

— I promise Wynn. For me she is also a daughter.

After saying goodbye, Bill decided to talk to Abigail, he needed a good place for them, and the rooms above the bar were very noisy. Henry Gowen, who was having a nice snack there, ended up joining the conversation and suggested they stay at his house. After all, their house was the largest in Hope Valle, it had six bedrooms and three bathrooms inside, it was on two floors, and they could have peace and quiet there. Henry built it at the time he managed the coal mine, he was the most powerful man in the city, he had even been mayor; but his greed made him lose everything, made him gamble with the miners' lives and ended up being arrested. But Elizabeth, one day, said to him: "TO MAKE ERRORS IS HUMAN, BUT FORGIVING OUR MISTAKES IS DIVINE. GO AND PAY YOUR PENALTY WITH SOCIETY AND RETURN TO YOUR FAMILY." And when he actually came back, she was there with open arms to welcome him.

And now, he could help her by caring and giving her family a room;

Bill that same night told Jack that Wynn was arriving and they planned a big surprise lunch for Elizabeth, which would be held at the school at lunchtime with her students present.